Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Mel became a passionate advocate for homeownership and investing in real estate after buying and selling her first home. What drew her to it was realizing the significant financial impact the right investment property can make and learning how much having a home to truly call your own can improve your quality of life.

Her specialties are working with first-time home buyers and sellers yet she is fluent in all aspects of residential real estate. She is trained extensively in real estate negotiation, holding both the CNE (Certified Negotiation Expert) and RENE (Real Estate Negotiations Expert) designations.

Mel knows that with all the technology available to buyers and sellers, one of the best skills a REALTOR® can have is knowing how to be a collaborative negotiator to get the best outcome for their clients.

After a decade-long career working in operations and client service for creative companies, Mel earned her Broker’s license and made the move to real estate. She listens to her client’s needs and aims to treat everyone involved in a transaction with honesty and integrity. She loves getting to know her clients, their wants, and needs to ensure they get the highest level of service Mel is known for.

Mel brings creativity and an eye for detail to the table with a background in art and events. She enjoys a remodel or renovation project, has a soft spot for old craftsman homes, loves helping first-time buyers, and educating her clients on the selling and purchasing process. She believes in staying up to date on market trends, technology, and tools available to real estate agents. This gives her an edge when it comes to marketing properties and communicating with her clients.

When Mel is not working in real estate she is volunteering with the Red Cross, gardening, hosting dinner parties, or relaxing at home on Bull Mountain with her husband, son, two big dogs, and a handful of chickens.

Mel's Testimonials

Working with Mel was a great experience for us as first time homebuyers. Our search took nearly a full year, as inventory and interest rates fluctuated. She encouraged us along the way as we were in and out of an active search. We never felt pressured to buy, and she helped us tailor our search as we learned more together about what we were looking for. We purchased a new construction home in a great and growing location! Mel helped us negotiate credits and repairs to get the most out of the deal. Definitely consider Mel - she’s got the patience, knowledge, and experience to get you into a home that’s the right fit.

Britney K.

We really enjoyed working with Mel through our home selling process and appreciated her expertise in the market. Through pricing, negotiating, and closing Mel was professional and helpful! Thanks, Mel!

Katie J.

First of all, Mel was an absolute pleasure to work with. I'm sure I was a challenging client, but she kept me on track and reassured me along the way when I needed it. Honestly, I could not have sold a home and purchased one at the same time with anyone else. Real Estate is her strong point, but she also understands her client and their needs. Mel is also extremely responsive and that is such an asset in this home selling and buying environment right now. I love my new home and I would not be here right now without Mel.

Margaret L.

We worked with Mel for over two years, through a pandemic and cross-country move, before finally finding the right house with her help. Mel was just awesome along the way! We looked at many great places together and her knowledge, advice, and insightfulness greatly helped us navigate the, sometimes rough, waters of Portland real estate. If we ever look for another house here, we will be sure to hit up Mel and do it all over again!

Simon H.

Mel is kind, knowledgable, thorough, patient, and optimistic. My partner and I were extremely concerned about being able to find a home in the current competitive market, but Mel believed she could make it happen, and she was right! Every step of the process was clear throughout the selling of our current house and the buying of our new house. We are very detail-oriented people and Mel made sure to take the necessary time for questions and comments. In the end, we purchased a home that was exactly right for our family and we couldn't be happier with our experience.

Jeremy G.

Where do I begin?. Mel was recommended to us by a few friends who have worked with her to buy their dream houses. And THANK GOODNESS they did. Mel has been so patient with us through this entire process. From the first discussion, she has walked us through and set us up with every resource we needed to make this purchase happen. When we first met with Mel- we thought we were priced out of our desired location. We were wrong. She helped us raise our standards and be competitive. We truly could not be happier. This is not an easy market and Mel is thoughtful and puts you at the forefront of the competition. When she recommends something- listen! She knows this market inside and out. She is smart, kind, and patient. We move into our dream house on Friday. It has everything we wanted and more. If you need to buy or sell, Mel is your person. We couldn't imagine doing this without her and her team of amazing people. We are forever grateful.

Amber M.

Mel was a great agent for us. She's organized and thorough and super easy to work with! She's also helpful and friendly and patient at every turn, I would highly recommend Mel =)

Sharon C.

Mel is amazing!. She guided us through our purchase and made it easy. She is very at communicating and addressing any issues that arise.

Michael S.

Working with Mel to find our new home was a great experience. She was always swiftly responsive to our countless texts and emails and set up viewings of the properties we liked in an impressively timely manner. We could tell that Mel really cared about finding us a home that checked as many of our dream boxes as possible while also staying within our budget. She helped make this potentially daunting home buying process run surprisingly smooth, and we couldn't be happier with our entire experience. If you're looking for an honest, caring, genuine, all-around-lovely person for your real estate agent, we highly recommend Mel. Thank you, Mel!

Karen K.

Mel was absolutely wonderful in helping me find my first home. She was attentive, patient, and overall very knowledgeable. I am so glad to have worked with Mel and will do so again if the opportunity presents itself :-)

Kathryn C.

Mel was absolutely wonderful in helping me find my first home. She was attentive, patient, and overall very knowledgeable. I am so glad to have worked with Mel and will do so again if the opportunity presents itself :-)

Kate C.

Mel was excellent to work with, she scheduled and showed us all the homes we wanted to see. She was patient with us and allowed us to take our time to find what we were looking for. Having purchased homes in the past we have dealt with many agents. Mel great and we highly recommend her.  Give her a call if you are looking to buy or sell.

Geof F.

Thank you universe for allowing me to stumble into one of Mel’s posts on social media in January 2020. From our initial meeting, I knew we were in good hands: Mel was warm, knowledgeable, informative, and understanding that we needed to take our time. My husband and I conveyed our housing desires and Mel kept them in mind as we viewed homes, offering smart options and ideas along the way. She was exceptional in the negotiations and the offer process. Highly knowledgeable about all things “home”, excellent communication skills, genuinely loves finding homes for her client and speaking honestly. That’s Mel. So lucky to find and buy our forever home with her.

Anika B. A.

Selling and buying a house with Mel has been completely stress-free. My wife and I are very happy with all the help Mel provided from suggesting stagers to simple counseling, from her being available pretty much anytime we contacted her to making phone calls to connect us with the buyers of the house we were selling and the sellers of the house we bought. Gracious, friendly, always with a smile, and great negotiator. Moreover, she knows a lot of businesses that can help fix whatever needs to be fixed.

Fabiana D.C.

Mel is an incredible real estate agent. She was our agent for both listing and buying, and I cannot overstate how much credit Mel deserves. She helped us understand what to expect throughout the whole sales process, even helping us decide if we wanted to sell at all. Her advice on what home improvements to make increased the market value of our home immensely, and her advice on what projects weren’t worth the time and money saved us thousands as well. She was instrumental in the staging process. Not only did she directly contribute with staging advice, she hired professional stagers that we worked with virtually, due to the pandemic. She even brought over some of her own personal décor, potted plants, and furniture to stage our front patio. Our house looked amazing in the photos and in person. We aimed high on our listing price and ended up getting two offers over asking the first weekend it was listed. This is even more impressive considering it is a townhouse and it backs up to a busy road. Mel is the most honest and trustworthy agent I have ever worked with, and her drive and dedication is unmatched. She was always responsive. And 9 times out of 10 she would already be on top of whatever issue or question we had before we even brought it up. We truly felt like we were her only clients because she showed us so much attention and consideration. There will always be set-backs, and we had our share of declined offers, inspection issues, scheduling difficulties, etc., but at every turn Mel was able to navigate these with grace, reassurance, and integrity. We never once felt that we were in over our heads or that hope might be lost. Buying and selling a home can be an overwhelming process but Mel was an exemplary guide that delivered better-than-expected outcomes. If you’re looking for an agent, do yourself a favor and look no further. Mel is a real estate wizard that utilizes direct mail campaigns, social media, professional connections and traditional listing strategies to optimize the visibility of your home and get you the highest value possible. As a buying agent, she exhibits care, patience, and mediation skills. She was always realistic with us on what houses we could reasonably make competitive offers on, but she was also optimistic and thoughtful with every showing. She truly listened to us when we explained what we were looking for and never tried to push us into looking at homes we weren’t interested in. We never once felt like we were asking too many questions or asking to see too many potential homes, and it felt like we were spending time with a friend, not just an agent. Mel is everything you could ever want in a real estate agent and she will 100% be our agent for any future real estate needs.

Danny S.

We had a great experience working with Mel when we purchased our home. She knows the market really well and quickly got a sense of what we liked and didn’t like. With us being first time buyers, she walked us through every step of the process and was always on hand to help with any doubts or questions we had. She was always professional and very patient, but also upfront and honest when straight talk was required. I would not hesitate to recommend her services to anyone looking to buy or sell.

Tom B.

Mel is amazing to work with, she was very knowledgeable and incredibly thoughtful to our needs. She was very patient with us whilst we figured out what we really wanted. We appreciated her attention to detail whilst touring homes and her insights were invaluable to making sure we both ended up with something we were really happy with. Once we found a home that we loved, Mel kept us on track with her online timeline and regular updates/check ins, she led us through the whole process making it stress free, we felt very taken care of throughout and learned a lot from Mel along the way that has helped us going forward now that we have closed. We loved working with her and I would definitely use her again in the future and would also recommend her to our friends.

Louise & Tom

We were fortunate to have Mel as our real estate agent, it has really been a wonderful experience. She is very warm and was very open and considerate to our requirements. As first time home buyers we relied on her expertise and we felt that we could totally trust her. Mel responded to all our questions promptly, sent detailed video tours and it was very reassuring to deal with her during these times of corona-lockdown. She was very thorough in managing the whole process and we'll be sure to recommend her to friends or family looking to buy or sell in the Portland area. Highly recommended!

Pooja N.

Meeting Mel was part of the best time of our lives. We met Mel through her volunteer work for Red Cross, friendships were quickly made. When we decided it was time to buy a home instead of continuing to rent places to live, we knew where to look. Mel helped us tremendously from the start. She met with us early in our search to help us figure out what we were looking for in a home; her experience, and tools available to her, helped us start looking at homes very quickly. We were able to see a large variety of homes, and not just ones that fit our original criteria. If we saw something online that looked interesting, she would book the appointment and we went and saw it together. It made us feel powerful as buyers to have somebody like Mel organizing all our appointments for us. When we started to find homes that fit us, Mel was excellent in helping us form offer strategies and providing information on comparable homes. If there was a question or concern that we had with a home we were interested in, Mel would contact the sellers agent for clarification. Happily, we found our home that fit us. Mel was in constant communication with us on every step of the process no matter how small it was. She helped us construct a winning bid on a home, and continued to be on our side to help with all of our questions all the way to our signing of closing documents. Unfortunately due to the health climate during an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic she was unable to personally attend our final closing paperwork signings, but she gave us a call before so we knew what to expect and another call after to congratulate us! Even still as we move in and get settled into our new home, Mel continues to be a wealth of information and resources to us and we look forward to continuing to work with her in the present and future.

Elizabeth S. & Kyle H.

Mel was great to work with. She was able to work with my schedule to make sure we could see the homes I was interested in.  I had no idea what I would be getting into purchasing my first home, but Mel made everything easy.  Thanks Mel!

Aaron C.

We had a wonderful experience with Mel and highly recommend her!. Gently attentive, she was fully responsive to our needs and  supportive when our first deal fell through. She’s a delight to work with and helped us get a great deal.

Katelyn R.

Mel provided excellent and personal service during my long-distance home purchase. Her attention to detail and excellent communication skills ensured my home search and purchase went as smoothly as possible.

Gary M.

We highly recommend Mel for REALTOR® services!. As out of state buyers, we relied on Mel for input in all areas.  She was on top of everything! She provided us with updates and kept us organized in the process.  She has been a joy to work with.

Pat C.

My husband and I had the pleasure of working with Mel to find our forever home. When I first contacted Mel, we discussed our wants and deal breakers.  She gave me the overview of what was happening in the marketplace to understand and set expectations.  After visiting a few places, we made our decision.   Mel was able to contact the seller REALTOR® to understand how to give the best offer.  After accepting, Mel was incredibly organized and really was there every step of the way. Her communication and organization really helped guide us thru the process.  We would highly recommend working with Mel!

Alyssa D.

I was a first time home buyer and Mel made everything so easy. Her personal investment to find exactly what I was looking for was relentless. We visited several properties together and when we we finally found “the one”, she worked around the clock to secure the listing for me. She setup all home inspections, worked closely with my lender and aggressively negotiated closing costs on my behalf. The experience couldn’t have been better! I would highly recommend Mel to any home buyer looking for a personalized home buying journey.

Jewelia S.

I can not say enough nice things about Mel. She is kind, patient and a great listener. We randomly dropped in to investigate the possibility of maybe one day buying a condo and a few short months later we are the proud owners of a beautiful 4 bedroom house. I totally recommend Mel!

Adina L. & Caitlin B.

I have known Mel for a few years and from our first interaction I knew would work well together. I was initially her Arborist and through a few projects I got to know her and that she was a real estate agent. Truth be told, I am not someone who shops around because I base my decision on my trust in someone. Mel was the first and only person I went to because I knew all my questions would get answered and she would have my best interest in mind. She stuck with me through the highs and the lows of the home purchasing process and was always in high spirits. Now here I am, a first time home-buyer in my new house which has everything I ever wanted. She helped me get this house and for that, I will be forever grateful. Thanks Mel!

Russell C

We feel so lucky to have had Mel as our REALTOR® through this whole process. As first time home owners we essentially knew nothing about the home buying process. Mel was there with every step of the way to provide endless amount of information and to educate us about the entire process. She always made us feel so comfortable and took so much time to make sure we got everything that we wanted. We got a fantastic house for a great price in our ideal neighborhood. Mel negotiated for us tirelessly to get us everything we needed for the house before closing. We couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t imagine having anyone else with us on this journey. Even after closing she continues to help us wrangle contractors and is there to answer any questions we still might have. This woman knows her stuff. I look forward to recommending her to everyone I know! She’s the absolute best! Thank you Mel for all your hard work, we are eternally grateful!

Catie P. & Greg S.

Mel was great to work with. She listened to what we wanted and found us the perfect home. We’re glad to have worked with her it was a great experience!

Gwen & Kurt K.

Mel was consistently warm, supportive, and accessible throughout a long complicated loan approval and purchasing process. She always had my best interests at heart. Her communication style is great, and descriptions of the stages and their requirements were crystal clear. She was very easy to reach, whether digitally, by phone, or in person. I highly recommend Mel as an agent.

Gabrielle S

Mel helped me sell my condo quickly!. She was a dedicated worker, and made me feel like I was her only client. I then decided to have Mel find me a house to buy. Mel always worked with a smile. I wasn't spending much on a house, but that didn't deter Mel from treating me like I was buying an expensive home. She met me for every house I wanted to see. She explained the benefits or cons of each house with my life goals. Once I found the house I wanted, Mel was really good at post-offer negotiations. I got the exact style of house I wanted with the yard I wanted at the price I wanted. She helped me understand repairs, and gave me contractors to worked with who all helped me get great service and save money. I would recommend Mel to anyone wanting a realtor, she was simply fantastic!

Gabe K

Mel's Articles

Just Listed! Meticulously Maintained in Gresham Station

Mel Marzahl

832 NW Council Drive Gresham, Oregon, 97030 Welcome to your meticulously maintained, east-facing townhome boasting mountain...

Just Listed! Tranquil Townhome Near Gresham Station

Mel Marzahl

852 NW Council Dr Gresham, OR 97030 Enjoy easy living in this one-owner townhouse in the...

Just Listed! Tranquil Living with Modern Comforts

Mel Marzahl

17987 SW 106th Ave Tualatin, OR 97062 Nestled in Tualatin’s heart, this single-family gem, featuring 3...

Understanding Home Equity: What it is and How it Benefits You

Mel Marzahl

Owning a home is a significant achievement, and it can also be a smart financial move....

VA Buyers Only Needed $6000 to Buy Their First Home

Mel Marzahl

Congratulations to Tatiana and Madison, veterans and first-time home buyers! They were able to buy their...

8 Things to Know About Buying and Selling a Home at the Same Time

Mel Marzahl

Selling your house and buying a new one at the same time can be a daunting...

Just Listed! Mid-Century Features and Territorial Vistas in NE

Mel Marzahl

15866 NE Morris Street Portland, Oregon, 97230 Perched high off the street at the top of...

Where To Buy Your First Property in Portland Oregon

Mel Marzahl

Looking to buy your first property in Portland Oregon? You’re in luck! This blog post will...

Just Listed! Diamond in the Rough!

Mel Marzahl

9905 SW Murdock Street Tigard, Oregon, 97224 This classic 1964 split-level home is just waiting to...

Just Listed! Move-In-Ready Ranch!

Mel Marzahl

11507 SE Yamhill Street, Portland, Oregon, 97216 Sip lemonade and swing under the cozy covered porch...

Neighborhood Spotlight: Greenway

Mel Marzahl

The Greenway community has been long-standing in Portland. The neighborhood is ideal for families and those...

What’s up with Cosmetic Fixers?

Mel Marzahl

  What’s up with cosmetic fixers? What are they? What’s the difference between a “fixer” and...

Perfect Layout, Worth the Wait

Mel Marzahl

Rebekah and Laina just bought a home with a perfect layout for them. It was totally...

Downtown Condo Tour

Mel Marzahl

Over the past few months our client, Alan, has been searching for the perfect condo to...

Old Home Gets Love it Deserves with New Owners

Mel Marzahl

Annabelle and Fabiana contacted me to help them sell their 70s, updated ranch in Hillsboro, and...

Long Search for First Home Comes to an End

Mel Marzahl

Anika and Todd have been searching for their first home for over a year. It has...

First-Time Buyer Snags Centennial Charmer

Mel Marzahl

I’ll start off by saying that the market in Portland is tough for first-time buyers right...

Where is Bull Mountain?

Mel Marzahl

Bull Mountain is one of the far SW suburbs of Portland, near Tigard. It’s a small...

Just Listed! Charming Newly Updated Ranch

Mel Marzahl

1535 SW 194th Ave Beaverton, Oregon, 97003 Sitting on a large lot in a quiet cul-de-sac,...

Closed on Two Homes in Two Days!

Mel Marzahl

Congrats to Marisa and Danny who just closed on two homes in two days! Marisa listed...

S O L D – Peaceful Southwest Haven

Mel Marzahl

Pending in 2 days! This gorgeous 150sqft attached home sold quick! The seller, Marisa, had updated...

Treehouse Dreamhouse

Mel Marzahl

I dare you to find a better treehouse in Portland. Ok, ok, us Portlanders are pretty...

Moving to Maplewood

Mel Marzahl

Maplewood is one of the sweetest neighborhoods in SW Portland. Maplewood borders the west side of...

Just Listed! Peaceful Southwest Haven

Mel Marzahl

9419 SW Claridge Dr Portland, OR 97223 Enter through your peaceful, private courtyard into your living...

Buying a Home Remotely

Mel Marzahl

I’ve never met Vijay and Pooja in person, they live in Boston and bought their new...

Skinny Love in NoPo

Mel Marzahl

Getting Started Elizabeth and Kyle have been thinking about buying their first home for a long...

Good Karma, Great Home

Mel Marzahl

The first time I sat down with Aaron was the first week of June, 2019. He...

What You Need To Know For Winter House Hunting

Mel Marzahl

While house hunting in the winter was never really a thing of the past, today things...

Cool Cat Cinder Closes on Charming Condo

Mel Marzahl

“Cinder” is the name of the very lucky cat who will be inhabiting my most recent...

Downsizing Texas to Portland

Mel Marzahl

Everything is bigger in Texas, right? Well that definitely includes beautiful big homes! Making the move...

Artists Fall for Mid Century Powell Butte Beauty

Mel Marzahl

A towering wall of trees rises straight up behind the house as I pull up to...

Parents Invest in Portland Home for Kids

Mel Marzahl

I love working with investors, but this family was just the sweetest! My clients, Pat and...

Buyer in Back-up Wins Bridlemile Beauty

Mel Marzahl

The day I walked into this beautiful Bridlemile home, I knew it was meant for Jewelia....

Tell Me What You Want (What You Really Really Want!)

Mel Marzahl

What do you really really want? Are you a buyer trying to find a home that...

First Time Buyers Fall in Love with Lents Farmhouse

Mel Marzahl

Starting their Search When first time buyers Adina and Caitlin started their search they wanted a...

First Time Home Buyer, Future Investor

Mel Marzahl

When I think about the story of this purchase, I realize the center of this story...

Sellwood Sweethearts Buy First Home

Mel Marzahl

Greg and Catie spent a lot of time dreaming of what their first house might look...

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